


How the Tables Turn

by Wise_Wayward



Category: Lord of the Rings RPF, The Lord of the Rings (Movies), The Lord of the Rings - All Media Types, The Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Based on a Tumblr Post, F/M, Falling In Love, First Date, First Meetings, Fluff, Getting to Know Each Other, Happy Ending, M/M, Modern AU, starting a relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-10
Updated: 2015-09-10
Packaged: 2018-04-20 00:47:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,205
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4767233
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wise_Wayward/pseuds/Wise_Wayward
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>" 'I made it!' Both men jumped at the sound of the voice and watched as the new figure settled comfortably in the seat across from Aragorn. Aragorn would have been thrilled had his date finally arrived only…the person now facing him at the table wasn’t Arwen." </p><p>When Aragorn gets stood up on a date, a stranger sweeps in to save the night.</p>
            </blockquote>





	How the Tables Turn

**Author's Note:**

> For my frequent readers - I know I said I was going to update "While You Were Dancing" - and I am! - but someone found this cute prompt on Tumblr and asked me to write it for Aralas and I couldn't say no!! I wrote it in a couple of hours so forgive any mistakes! I hope you enjoy :)

With an impatient sigh, Aragorn pulled back his sleeve to check his watch for what had to be the tenth time. _Or was it the eleventh?_ At this point, he had lost count. You see, he had showed up forty-five minutes ago – _as scheduled_ – for his first real date in years and…he was still waiting. At first, he was willing to give his date the benefit of the doubt, assuming that perhaps she was just running a little behind or got stuck in traffic – they lived in a busy city after all! Now, however, he wasn’t so certain. He let twenty minutes pass before pulling out his phone and scrolling through their texts to make sure he hadn’t misread the time and place. He hadn’t. She clearly agreed to meet at seven at the Italian Restaurant off of Sixth Street. So where was she?

 He had been so looking forward to this dinner all day! He was genuinely excited about the opportunity to get to know his gorgeous date. Oh, said date was named Arwen by the way. She and Aragorn had worked in the same office for about a year now. They talked occasionally and she had always seemed to be very nice and well-spoken - so much so that he had been interested in talking to her more. Working on separate floors had made meeting up a difficult thing to do during the day and so Aragorn had finally found the courage to ask her out. Her response was encouraging – she smiled sweetly and gave him her number. Her last text she had sent said that she was looking forward to seeing him. If that were true, then why wasn’t she here?

He began tapping his fingers on the table, the crisp, white cloth dulling the sound of them. Under the table, his right leg was bouncing of its own accord, but thankfully no one could see it. He cast a nervous glance around the dining room, deciding that to the rest of the patrons he probably looked like a lone fool. The poor waiter had already given him countless looks of pure pity whenever he came to check up on him. Each time, however, Aragorn would always insist that his date would show. The waiter would just smile tightly and say, “Of course,” before moving on to the other guests. Aragorn wondered how long they would let him stay before asking him to leave.

While scanning the room, Aragorn caught the eye of someone sitting in a booth along the far wall. All he could tell from this distance was that the other man had piercing blue eyes and a headful of shiny blond hair. He, too, was sitting alone. Aragorn quickly looked away before things could grow awkward, taking the final drink of his third glass of water. He checked his watch again. An hour had passed. He closed his eyes as he just accepted the fact that Arwen wasn’t going to show. He was so angry! If she had changed her mind about the date all she had to do was tell him so! He wouldn’t have minded. He’d have been disappointed, sure, but he would have gotten over it. Anything would have been better than deliberately standing him up – making him feel used and humiliated.

When he opened his eyes again, he saw the waiter coming towards him. _Dammit_. He had hoped to just leave a tip and sneak out without having to endure another of the man’s sympathetic gazes. He cleared his throat and smiled pleasantly as the man approached. He couldn’t help but notice that the waiter seemed a little nervous this time around, wringing his hands together as he came to Aragorn’s side.

“Sir, I’m afraid that I’m going to have to ask you to - ’’

“I made it!”

Both men jumped at the sound of the voice and watched as the new figure settled comfortably in the seat across from Aragorn. Aragorn would have been thrilled had his date finally arrived only…the person now facing him at the table wasn’t Arwen.

“Sorry, I’m late,” the new arrival apologized, throwing him a look that clearly said _play along_ , “Traffic was horrible! Thank you for waiting on me though. I feel awful.”

Aragorn quickly regained his senses.

“It’s no problem at all! I’m just glad you made it!”

The waiter looked relieved, probably having felt terribly guilty for almost having to kick Aragorn out of the restaurant for loitering.

“Wonderful!” the waiter exclaimed, “Everyone is here! Can I get you something to drink, sir?”

Yes, you heard right. _Sir_.   

 “Water will be fine, thank you,” the other man said as the waiter took off to retrieve his beverage.

Finally alone with his “date,” Aragorn’s eyes widened when he realized it was the blond from the booth he had spotted earlier. At meeting Aragorn’s bewildered stare, the other man laughed nervously.

“I, uh, couldn’t help but notice that you’ve been sitting alone for quite a while,” he began, his soft, lyrical voice startling Aragorn back to awareness.

He too let out a nervous laugh and rubbed the back of his neck.

“Yes, I have. Unfortunately…”

“Don’t worry,” the mystery man replied, “I’ve been sitting back there for almost as long as you have.”

Aragorn detected bitterness in the other’s tone and he looked at him curiously.

“You were stood up too, then?” he asked uncertainly.

The blond furrowed his brows, a look of pure loathing sweeping over his previously pleasant visage.

“Bastard,” he muttered, “Decides to text me an hour after we were supposed to meet to tell me he can’t make it.”

“At least you got a text,” Aragorn complained, “I’ve yet to hear a word from my date.”

The stranger’s face softened once more, studying the frustrated expression Aragorn wore. Then suddenly he began to laugh – a clear, melodious laugh that was just soft enough so as not to disturb the other diners.

 Aragorn was startled by the reaction and glared at the laughing blond whose eyes were shining with mirth. He felt bad enough! He didn’t need to be laughed at as well! But the longer he considered the situation he was in and how the pair of them must look, the tension eased and he couldn’t help but chuckle too.

“We make quite the deserted duo,” he said as the laughter died down, “The name’s Aragorn by the way.”

He held out his hand for the blond to take and when he did, he was surprised at how smooth and warm his skin was despite the firm grip.

“It’s nice to meet you, Aragorn. Although, I wish the circumstances could have been better. I’m Legolas.”

“Likewise, Legolas.”

As they released hands, the pair held gazes. A tension of a different kind mounting between them.

It was then that the waiter reappeared with Legolas’ water, effectively killing the moment. Both men looked away, cheeks turning red as each realized they had been staring at the other. After having to wait for over an hour, both were relieved to finally order some food. Aragorn took a moment to contemplate the crazy turn this night had taken. He had showed up totally prepared to share a nice meal and engaging conversation with Arwen and now he was dining with some guy he had never met before. As Legolas ordered, Aragorn used the time to watch the other man. The longer he looked, the more beautiful he found Legolas to be. Don’t let the word _beautiful_ fool you! Legolas’ features were very much masculine, but in a soft, muted sort of way. His nose was small, cheek bones high, and ivory skin unblemished. He had a strong jaw, full brows, and thin lips that pulled up in the slightest of smiles. And all of that was perfectly framed by a curtain of light hair that fell just passed his shoulders. Beautiful. Perhaps this night wouldn’t be a total disaster after all…

As the waiter took their menus and scampered off to the kitchen, Aragorn met Legolas’ gaze with a smile.

“So, Legolas. Tell me a little bit about yourself.”

“Hhmm…where to start? Well…”

Soon, Aragorn found himself totally intrigued by the young man before him. He learned that Legolas was 22 and had recently graduated college with a degree in Environmental Science. He was about to start an internship with the National Parks Service and was really excited about it, as if Aragorn couldn’t already tell by the way those blue eyes had lit up as he spoke. He was an only child raised by a single father and as such, admitted to being slightly spoiled. He was on an archery team in high school and in college and gave lessons to kids during his summers. In turn, Aragorn told Legolas that he was 26 and currently in his last year at grad school working on a degree in Public Administration. He explained how he, too, was an only child but raised by a single mother. Legolas was particularly interested in learning how the other man loved to go camping and did so often. The more they talked, the more things they discovered they had in common, such as reading fantasy novels and watching documentaries to name a few. They shared funny stories, and vented about all the stresses they were presently experiencing – aside from being ditched by their dates.

Before they knew it, another hour had passed and the waiter came back over to give them the check. As he sat the bill on the table, both men reached for it at the same time, Legolas’ hand coming to rest atop Aragorn’s. Aragorn’s body was set aflame at the simple touch and as he looked into the other’s widened eyes, he couldn’t help but think that he felt it too.

“Please,” Aragorn began seriously, clearing his throat, “Let me get it. I owe it to you for saving me from looking like an idiot.”

Legolas made as if to protest but then relented, drawing back his hand with a grateful smile on his face.

“Alright. But let me take care of the tip,” he beseeched.

“Fair enough.”

As the waiter came back with Aragorn’s card, he was surprised at the heaviness that settled in his chest. He knew the reason of course – the date was coming to an end. Though it hadn’t turned out how he had planned, he had enjoyed the night. He admitted to himself that he was going to be disappointed to see Legolas go. A myriad of conflicting emotions were running through his mind. What happened after this? Did they part ways, never to meet again? Would they remain friends? Should they keep in touch? Should he ask for his number? What exactly did he _want_ to happen? As he filled out his receipt, lost in his thoughts, he failed to notice Legolas scribbling on his napkin.

They exited the restaurant side by side onto the crowded sidewalk. It was late. Skies were dark but the stars were hidden by the countless city lights. Legolas pulled his jacket tighter to him, Aragorn watching as a gust of chilly wind blew wisps of hair onto his face. He rubbed his hands together to suppress the urge to reach out and tuck the stray stands behind a dainty ear.

“Well,” Legolas sighed, his breath visible in the cool air, “Thanks for the dinner, Aragorn. I had a great time.”

“Thank you for showing up when you did,” Aragorn countered, “Definitely made my night.”

Legolas smiled.

“Uh, I should get going,” the blond announced, “I’ve got an early start tomorrow.”

“Of course,” Aragorn said, heart leaping to his throat, “It was a pleasure to meet you, Legolas.”

He held his hand out to the blond for the second time that night, only this time it was bittersweet.

“Likewise,” Legolas said.

They stared at their joined hands for a moment before reluctantly dropping them back to their sides.

“I guess I’ll see you around?”

Aragorn could only nod, not trusting what words would fall out of his mouth should he open it.

With that, Legolas turned, popping up his collar as he walked down the street and towards his car. Aragorn stood in place, watching the other man’s retreating form. Somehow this didn’t feel right. He should run after him –tell him he wanted to see him again. Ever a believer in the strange ways of the universe, a part of him felt like it was fate that had brought the two of them together that night, not coincidence. Another gust a wind drew Aragorn back to the present. He needed to go home. He had work in the morning…although he doubted he’d get much sleep. Sighing, Aragorn turned the opposite way towards his own car. As the wind picked up, he tucked his bare hands into his coat pocket. His right hand came into contact with something soft. Confused, he drew the object from his pocket. He couldn’t help the goofy grin that spread across his face as he realized what it was. It was a napkin. But not just any napkin. On it was scribbled ten digits and a brief message: Call me!               

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!! Please let me know what you thought! I may or may not write a follow-up chapter for this story! And if you have a request, please message me on Tumblr! Find me at ringerpotteravengerhooker7


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